Improvement in projectiles for fire-arms



O. G. WARREN.

Projectile.

No. 40,385. Patented Oct.. 2051863.

Nirn `rares G. YVARREN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO, JOSHUA BARNES,

OF SAME PLACE. l

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTI-LES'FOR FIRE-ARMS.

jl'o all whom it 711,60!! concern,.-

Be it known that I, OWEN G. VARREN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles, which I call Owen G. Varrens Hollow Shot, and I herebydeclare that the following -is a full and exact description thereof.

To enable others skilled in the business to make and use my invention, I proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and making a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a section showing the cavity; Fig. 3, a transverse section; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the same or a similar shot7 with channels aroundit, in which lead or indiarubber may be put.

This shot is designed to carry the whole or the greater part of the charge, to be ready loaded, or prepared as a cartridge with compressed powder or otherwise. Accompanying it is or may be a false powderchamber, (see Fig. 2,) like the shot, except that it is not pointed. The shot and false powder-chamber are calculated to be of great strength, their dimensions for a cannon-say fifteen -inch boreto be two or three diameters in length 5 the shot, steelpointed or truncated, with sharp edge 5 the walls two to threeinches thick. The false powder-chamber to be of similar proportions, except that it may be shorter. If the shot is to be used without the false powder-chamber, it should be long enough to have capacity in it to hold a double charge of powder. If used with it, it need not be so capacious. Their purpose is to save the gun, adding so much thickness of metal in wroughtiron to the strength of the powder-chamber, making the shot heavier, if desired, than the round solid shot, avoiding heating the gun, using the false powder -chamber, when the charge is to be augmented. That must be adapted to the bore and connected with the vent. If made of extraordinary strength, as it may easily be, and an elastic base put to it, behind it-some six inches of india`rubberit would probably enable a gun to bear a double weight of projectile and double charge of powder.

In practice, I would strike this shot out from the prepared bloom in a swage with a powerful compressure, making it of the required size and shape at a blow. rIhe false powder-chamber should be more carefully made, and be defended against expansion by heat-that is, made with wound wire partially, or in other proper mode. 7With the use of an elastic cushion behind the false powder-chamber, it may be necessary to ignite the powder from a tige at the rear of the powder-chamber. In the false powdenchamber I would use a slow powder, and in the shot strong powder. In the shot, in addition I would placea quantity o'frocket-powder, whose burning after the discharge ofthe shot should fill the partial vacuum generally formed behind the projectile while in flight, (and con sequently hindering its passage through theA air.) and thus aid instead of hindering the shot. i

The shot inay be used prepared for riiied bore or for smooth bore.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the false powder-chain` ber and the hollow shotto hold all the charge and to sustain the greater part of the shock of the explosion, in the manner described.

owrllT e.' WARREN.

Vitnesses:

J. D. STUR'rEviNT, J. M. J oNEs. 

